Some lawmakers have made tough votes

Taxpayers should be watching with great interest the ongoing work of the special committee of the Illinois General Assembly wrestling with the tough but essential issue of pension reform. While we are encouraged by early reports of the committee's work, it does not dent the frustration of millions of Illinoisans who believe the time for reform was long, long ago.

However, taxpayers should also be well aware that a large number of Illinois legislators have already stood up for them by supporting strong pension reform legislation. They have taken the tough vote to restore economic sanity to the state's finances by voting for meaningful bills. Unfortunately, too many of their colleagues to date have taken the easy way out and we are still awaiting passage of a reform bill.

As our unemployment rate continues as the second highest in the nation, taxpayers are right to question our legislature's ability to address the critical issues facing our state. But remember, many individual legislators have already stood up. They simply need more help.

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the X in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.